November at West Dean

A dry September - the driest on record has been followed by a
reasonably damp October (so my wish for rain was granted!) this
year and I must say the recent weather has created perfect
conditions for planting, of which we've been taking advantage. As I
write we have yet to suffer a frost which is reflected in the warm
soils and ideal conditions for plant establishment although it also
means the grass is continuing to grow through autumn but is slowing
down.

At this time of year there is a flurry of list-making as jobs to
be done in the gardens are arranged and rearranged according to the
weather and priority. It's all about housekeeping in November, a
case of which glasshouse to empty then clean and in which order.
Some collections in the glasshouses will stay put for a while
longer while others are broken down so that we can get into the
houses to scrub and clean. Once the plants are out you can really
see the need to clean the house and if you like suds and a
scrubbing brush this is the job for you. Even now there are some
lovely collections to admire under glass, especially nerines which
after a mass potting session at the end of summer, have been
flowering mightily. Next year we should have a knock-your-socks-off
display as the bulbs continue to grow over winter in preparation
for 2015 flowers.

Alongside washing the outside of glasshouses, Stu (one of the
woodies) has been taking the saw to some of the apple trees in the
fruit garden. Over time their centres have become congested with
branches which affect light penetration and the development of
fruiting wood in the future. By clearing out the central stems,
more light will work its magic on the remaining branches so we can
look forward to good apple production in years to come.

It's that time again for the annual pot wash of our lovely
terracotta pots which we use for all our display plants under
glass. As well as looking marvellous and supporting our selection
of plants under glass, the pots over time become a home to pests
like spider mite and mealy bug. Both these pests don't need plants
over winter and the rims of pots are ideal places to hide in; but
with soapy water and a scrubbing brush the pots are restored to
hygienic cleanliness.

A stomp up to the arboretum will show you the ongoing work on
this little piece of paradise. As the site is so large (approx. 50
acres) the gardens team have to nibble away at the work and it
takes years to accomplish some tasks but now you can see the affect
and new vistas have been and are being created for all to enjoy. So
once the bare patches have been sown with wild flower mixes, the
Arboretum will become even more beautiful.

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Team work

The annual naturalised bulb planting has taken place for this
year and the numbers planted were not as large as last year (thank
goodness say all the gardeners). It's a task for three people: one
on crowbar to make the hole, one planting, and one with club hammer
to close the hole and before you laugh, we have planted hundreds of
thousands of bulbs this way so I invite you to come along in the
spring to see the grand effect.